1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a portable radiographic imaging apparatus and a radiographic image management apparatus, and more particularly, to a portable radiographic imaging apparatus having an image output unit which detects a radiation penetrating a to-be-imaged object to be irradiated on a to-be-irradiated surface of a casing and outputs data of a radiographic image indicating a distribution of an amount of irradiated radiation and a radiographic image management apparatus having a storage unit which stores data of a previously-captured radiographic image, which may communicate with a portable radiographic imaging apparatus having a display unit which may display an image.
2. Related Art
Recently, a flat panel detector (FPD) that is configured by disposing a radiation sensitive layer on a thin film transistor (TFT) active matrix substrate has been put to practical applications. The FPD detects an irradiated radiation such as an x-ray and directly converts the amount of irradiated radiation into data of a radiographic image indicating a distribution of the amount of irradiated radiation. A portable radiographic imaging apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as an “electronic cassette”) including such as an FPD and storing data of a radiographic image output from the FPD has been put to practical applications. Since the electronic cassette has a good portability, a patient on a stretcher or a bed may be image captured. In addition, since a portion to be image may be easily adjusted by changing a position of the electronic cassette, an immobile patient may be adaptively image captured.
Recently, an electronic cassette added with a display unit capable of checking the captured radiographic image at the imaging site has been proposed. For example, JP-A No. 2000-262504 discloses a radiation detecting cassette having a detector for detecting a radiation penetrating a patient and a display unit such as a LCD panel which is disposed on a rear side of the cassette.
In addition, JP-A No. 7-246199 discloses an X-ray diagnosis apparatus which is configured by laminating an upper cover, an X-ray grid, a flat panel detector, a digital X-ray information storage unit, a flat LCD unit, and a lower cover. An X-ray image displayed on the LCD unit may be viewed from a rear surface of the apparatus.
In addition, JP-A No. 2006-150078 discloses a configuration where a reference display unit capable of displaying an image is installed in a housing of a digital image detector (refer to FIG. 2 of JP-A No. 2006-150078), a configuration where the reference display unit is detachably installed in the housing and mechanically or electrically coupled with an electrical interface disposed on a wall of the housing (refer to FIG. 3 of JP-A No. 2006-150078), and a configuration where the reference display unit is installed separately from the housing and wirelessly communicate with the digital image detector (refer to FIG. 4 of JP-A No. 2006-150078).
In addition, JP-A No. 2004-97543 discloses a configuration where an image display unit made of a material having a high x-ray permeability is fixed to a position neighboring a body surface of a to-be-tested man by a supporting mechanism.
In addition, JP-A No. 2004-97635 discloses a configuration where a control apparatus having an image display unit, a manipulator, and a communication unit capable of performing wireless communication is disposed separately from an X-ray imaging apparatus. The X-ray imaging apparatus may be disposed to a position where an operator may easily operate, by using mount-angle changeable legs.
In the radiographic imaging, if the patient moves at the time of the imaging, blur of the image captured object may occur in the radiographic image. In this case, the imaging needs to be performed again. In any one of JP-A Nos. 2000-262504, 7-246199, 2006-150078, 2004-97543, and 2004-97635, since the display unit is added to the electronic cassette or since the display unit is disposed in the vicinity of the electronic cassette, the radiographic image obtained by the imaging is displayed on the display unit. After the radiographic imaging, by referring to the radiographic image displayed on the display unit, it may be directly checked by a user (imaging operator) whether or not the image captured object blur occurs in the captured radiographic image.
In addition, in the radiographic imaging, in a case where the radiographic imaging was performed previously on the same portion of the same patient, in order to facilitate surgeon's reading of the radiographic image, there is a need in that the imaging range (positioning) of the current imaging is equal to that of the previously-captured radiographic image, if possible. However, the techniques disclosed in JP-A Nos. 2000-262504, 7-246199, 2006-150078, 2004-97543, and 2004-97635 do not satisfy the need, and it is difficult for the user to grasp the imaging range of the previously-captured radiographic image in the imaging room. Therefore, there is a problem in that the accuracy of the process of adjusting the imaging range by the user is not satisfactory.